Optical scanning devices digitize images and text and translate the information into a machine-readable form a computer can use. The image data can then be used in a number of different ways. For example, the data can be used by a personal computer to reproduce an image of the scanned object on a display device or a printer. The data can also be used by a computer to find and retrieve an electronic version of all or a portion of the original document or source.
There are numerous types of optical scanners, including both fixed scanners (e.g., conventional copy machines) and portable scanners (e.g., hand-held scanning devices). As the name implies, a hand-held optical scanner can be held in a user's hand and moved over the text or image the user desires to scan. The image data can then be stored in scanner memory for later download, or downloaded directly to an associated computer or other processing device via a cable or wireless connection.